All Things CLASS

I would like to inquire about the Concept Development dimension of Creating. Would this also include motor planning in the physical sense? If students are participating in a cross the body development skill that requires motor planning would this also be addressed in this area as creating a physical movement as a result?

I would appreciate some clarity of thought in this area. 

Thank you!

------------------------------
Sheila Hermocillo
Education-Disability Specialist
Dodge City KS
------------------------------

​Attached are some accountability prompts.  Do you think this is helpful with concept development?  If not what specifically do you have in mind?  Also attached is the Everyday fun with Engineering teacher tip page which has different age ranges.  My hope is that this is helpful to you.

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Ayesha Morin
San Antonio TX
------------------------------

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day. 


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone
------------------------------

------Original Message------

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day. 


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone
------------------------------

I love this example! To think of Creating as Inventing. I think that will help many teachers see the difference. I get asked quite a bit about whether art projects are "creating".

------------------------------
Tamara De Los Santos
Fairbanks AK
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone
------------------------------

Sorry, I have a question about this - hopefully you can clarify this for me (I'm an observer, not a teacher or coach). I'm not totally sure what motor planning is, but your response seemed to be more about the involvement of the teacher in the activity. So, if a teacher did lead the students in an activity in which they had to brainstorm some movements, would that be creating? Like, if the students developed a dance, or were asked to come up with some different movements that they led the other students in? Could you that count as creating?

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone
------------------------------

Hi Meryl,
Please refer to the attached CLASS information about Concept development. You will get an overview of "Creating" and examples of how it's to be implemented. One best practice during this process is to record/web children's responses for future reference. The Dimension Guide is also a very teacher friendly tool when trying to understand the Dimensions and behavior markers. As an Education Coach, I actually utilize the Dimension Guide during my reflective feedback sessions with the teachers. Hope that this information is helpful.

------------------------------
Maria Ferrette
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 16:45
From: Meryl Zwanger
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Sorry, I have a question about this - hopefully you can clarify this for me (I'm an observer, not a teacher or coach). I'm not totally sure what motor planning is, but your response seemed to be more about the involvement of the teacher in the activity. So, if a teacher did lead the students in an activity in which they had to brainstorm some movements, would that be creating? Like, if the students developed a dance, or were asked to come up with some different movements that they led the other students in? Could you that count as creating?

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone

Maria, these are so helpful! I especially like the T TA CLASS sheets- do you have them for every dimension up to PREK? If so will you consider sharing the rest in the library? Thanks!
ck

------------------------------
Carolyn Koesters
Abingdon VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 17:31
From: Maria Ferrette
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Hi Meryl,
Please refer to the attached CLASS information about Concept development. You will get an overview of "Creating" and examples of how it's to be implemented. One best practice during this process is to record/web children's responses for future reference. The Dimension Guide is also a very teacher friendly tool when trying to understand the Dimensions and behavior markers. As an Education Coach, I actually utilize the Dimension Guide during my reflective feedback sessions with the teachers. Hope that this information is helpful.

------------------------------
Maria Ferrette
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 16:45
From: Meryl Zwanger
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Sorry, I have a question about this - hopefully you can clarify this for me (I'm an observer, not a teacher or coach). I'm not totally sure what motor planning is, but your response seemed to be more about the involvement of the teacher in the activity. So, if a teacher did lead the students in an activity in which they had to brainstorm some movements, would that be creating? Like, if the students developed a dance, or were asked to come up with some different movements that they led the other students in? Could you that count as creating?

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA


Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone

Thank you for sharing your resources, Maria.  Very helpful!!​

------------------------------
Stephanie Fischer
Jasper AL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 17:31
From: Maria Ferrette
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Hi Meryl,
Please refer to the attached CLASS information about Concept development. You will get an overview of "Creating" and examples of how it's to be implemented. One best practice during this process is to record/web children's responses for future reference. The Dimension Guide is also a very teacher friendly tool when trying to understand the Dimensions and behavior markers. As an Education Coach, I actually utilize the Dimension Guide during my reflective feedback sessions with the teachers. Hope that this information is helpful.

------------------------------
Maria Ferrette
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 16:45
From: Meryl Zwanger
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Sorry, I have a question about this - hopefully you can clarify this for me (I'm an observer, not a teacher or coach). I'm not totally sure what motor planning is, but your response seemed to be more about the involvement of the teacher in the activity. So, if a teacher did lead the students in an activity in which they had to brainstorm some movements, would that be creating? Like, if the students developed a dance, or were asked to come up with some different movements that they led the other students in? Could you that count as creating?

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA


Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone

Hi Meryl, good question! "Motor planning" is usually used to describe the skill that allows up to know, remember, and perform the steps to a movement. For example, when you're new to tying your shoes, it's very hard and intentional work, but now you do it without thinking. We use motor planning for almost any physical activity- washing hands, brushing teeth, etc.  The concept is often talked about more when there's a concern around a student who may struggle in motor planning. These basic tasks wouldn't typically involve any higher-order thinking skills, and therefore wouldn't be considered Creating. 
However, some of the things you described could be. If a teacher was providing opportunities for students to be creative and generate the moves to their own dance or plan out how to move, that could change the focus to cognition. I'm picturing a teacher that's read a book about animals and then had the students plan to act like them. Questions like, "What could we make to look like a giraffe? How would we do it? What do we need to show our long necks? How should we walk? How would we move our head and arms?"  Now the students are thinking, planning, brainstorming, and inventing!

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 16:45
From: Meryl Zwanger
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Sorry, I have a question about this - hopefully you can clarify this for me (I'm an observer, not a teacher or coach). I'm not totally sure what motor planning is, but your response seemed to be more about the involvement of the teacher in the activity. So, if a teacher did lead the students in an activity in which they had to brainstorm some movements, would that be creating? Like, if the students developed a dance, or were asked to come up with some different movements that they led the other students in? Could you that count as creating?

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone

Great explanation!  Thank you @Liz Savage​

------------------------------
Sheila Dandeneau
Raleigh NC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-17-2019 11:38
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Hi Meryl, good question! "Motor planning" is usually used to describe the skill that allows up to know, remember, and perform the steps to a movement. For example, when you're new to tying your shoes, it's very hard and intentional work, but now you do it without thinking. We use motor planning for almost any physical activity- washing hands, brushing teeth, etc.  The concept is often talked about more when there's a concern around a student who may struggle in motor planning. These basic tasks wouldn't typically involve any higher-order thinking skills, and therefore wouldn't be considered Creating.
However, some of the things you described could be. If a teacher was providing opportunities for students to be creative and generate the moves to their own dance or plan out how to move, that could change the focus to cognition. I'm picturing a teacher that's read a book about animals and then had the students plan to act like them. Questions like, "What could we make to look like a giraffe? How would we do it? What do we need to show our long necks? How should we walk? How would we move our head and arms?"  Now the students are thinking, planning, brainstorming, and inventing!

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 16:45
From: Meryl Zwanger
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Sorry, I have a question about this - hopefully you can clarify this for me (I'm an observer, not a teacher or coach). I'm not totally sure what motor planning is, but your response seemed to be more about the involvement of the teacher in the activity. So, if a teacher did lead the students in an activity in which they had to brainstorm some movements, would that be creating? Like, if the students developed a dance, or were asked to come up with some different movements that they led the other students in? Could you that count as creating?

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA


Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone

Thank you for this - very informative.

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 12-17-2019 11:38
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Hi Meryl, good question! "Motor planning" is usually used to describe the skill that allows up to know, remember, and perform the steps to a movement. For example, when you're new to tying your shoes, it's very hard and intentional work, but now you do it without thinking. We use motor planning for almost any physical activity- washing hands, brushing teeth, etc.  The concept is often talked about more when there's a concern around a student who may struggle in motor planning. These basic tasks wouldn't typically involve any higher-order thinking skills, and therefore wouldn't be considered Creating.
However, some of the things you described could be. If a teacher was providing opportunities for students to be creative and generate the moves to their own dance or plan out how to move, that could change the focus to cognition. I'm picturing a teacher that's read a book about animals and then had the students plan to act like them. Questions like, "What could we make to look like a giraffe? How would we do it? What do we need to show our long necks? How should we walk? How would we move our head and arms?"  Now the students are thinking, planning, brainstorming, and inventing!

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: 12-16-2019 16:45
From: Meryl Zwanger
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

Sorry, I have a question about this - hopefully you can clarify this for me (I'm an observer, not a teacher or coach). I'm not totally sure what motor planning is, but your response seemed to be more about the involvement of the teacher in the activity. So, if a teacher did lead the students in an activity in which they had to brainstorm some movements, would that be creating? Like, if the students developed a dance, or were asked to come up with some different movements that they led the other students in? Could you that count as creating?

------------------------------
Meryl Zwanger
Arcadia CA


Original Message:
Sent: 12-11-2019 20:06
From: Liz Savage
Subject: Concept Development: Creating

An interesting question @Sheila Bertelsen! It was so interesting, I posed it in our office to all the CLASS experts. The consensus was no. Because Concept Development is about a teacher's use of instructional discussions, activities, etc. to promote students' higher-order thinking skills and cognition.promoting higher-order thinking skills, and the teacher wouldn't have a role in promoting that in your example.

When I took the PreK Observation training, my trainer @Mamie Morrow TS told us to think of "Creating" as "Inventing" You can invent a story, idea, design, science experiment, character, etc and all of those might include some brainstorming, planning, or producing. It defines creating a little better for me.

There was another thread about Creating a while ago you might enjoy reading here and there's also a printable of ideas of ways to incorporate more Creating (Inventing) into different times of the day.


​

------------------------------
Liz Savage
Community Manager
Teachstone